1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a relatively low cost and easy to use automatic screw feeder that is removably attached to a conventional electric screw driver so that a series of screws may be successively and automatically grasped and removed from a screw storage drum to be repositioned in axial alignment with the screw driver bit for installation at a wall or similar surface, but without requiring any modification to the screw driver.
2. Background Art
As will be known to workmen in the construction industry and do-it-yourselfers, alike, installing a large number of screws can be both a cumbersome and time consuming process even if accomplished with the aid of a pneumatic or electric screw driver having an appropriate screw driver bit. For example, the workman must pick out screws, one at a time, from a supply, position and hold the screw in alignment with the bit, and avoid possible injury during installation. The continuous relocation of the screws from their supply to the screw driver can become very tedious. Moreover, the screws may be dropped, lost, or mishandled. Consequently, the cost and efficiency of installation are adversely effected such that the quality of the job may suffer.
In this regard, it has been known in the past to use an automatic screw handling device in combination with a pneumatic or electric screw driver to feed screws from a screw supply to a screw driver bit. However, such devices are generally complex and relatively hard to use. In addition, the prior devices often require that some modification first be made to the existing screw driver. Consequently, the cost for using conventional screw handling devices is undesirably increased as is the skill necessary for proper assembly.
With the foregoing in mind, it would be desirable to have available a low cost, easy to use screw feeder that would require no special skill or assembly so as to be easily attached to most commercially available pneumatic or electric screw drivers for automatically feeding a large number of screws from a storage drum to a screw driver bit for efficient installation at the work site.
Examples of conventional screw handling devices are available by referring to the following United States patents:
______________________________________ 4,146,071 March 27, 1979 4,517,863 May 21, 1985 4,667,545 May 26, 1987 5,027,679 July 2, 1991 5,083,483 January 28, 1992 ______________________________________